Shipping belongings abroad is sold as a category of its own, but underneath it is the same carriage this record prices, bought box by box. That matters because the sensible way to plan it is per box against the published bands rather than as one lump: Parcel2Go publishes £11.59 to the USA, £11.10 to Australia and £7.79 to Germany on its own destination pages, each for a single parcel, and those are the numbers a multi-box move multiplies.
Boxes, not luggage
Excess baggage services move boxes on parcel and freight networks, not suitcases on an aircraft you are travelling on. That means the published parcel bands apply: Royal Mail's Medium Parcel stops at 20kg inside 61cm x 46cm x 46cm and Parcelforce's ladder at 30kg. Packing to those limits, in more boxes rather than fewer, is usually cheaper than a single overweight one and always easier to insure.
Personal belongings are not automatically duty free
A box of your own used possessions crossing a border is still an import. Relief exists in many countries for someone genuinely relocating, and it depends on the circumstances of the move, how long you owned the goods and whether you are taking up residence, rather than on the goods being second-hand. Where the relief applies it usually requires a specific declaration, made before the goods arrive rather than afterwards.
International student shipping: what a student box actually needs
An inventory. Every box needs a description clear enough for a stranger to understand and a value for each line, and a term-time address that will accept a delivery when the student may not be there yet. The failure on student shipping is almost never price; it is a box arriving before the person, at an address nobody can sign for.
Questions people ask about excess baggage shipping
How much does excess baggage shipping cost?
It is priced per box on ordinary parcel bands. Parcel2Go publishes £11.59 to the USA, £11.10 to Australia and £7.79 to Germany for a single parcel on its own destination pages, read on 10 September 2026.
Are personal belongings free of duty?
No, not automatically. Relief exists for a genuine relocation in many countries and depends on the circumstances of the move, usually requiring a declaration before the goods arrive.
Is one big box cheaper than several small ones?
Usually not. The published bands stop at 20kg with Royal Mail and 30kg with Parcelforce, and several boxes inside a band beat one that has crossed it.
What does shipping personal belongings from UK to USA cost?
It is priced per box on the ordinary parcel bands: Parcel2Go publishes £11.59 for a single parcel on its own USA page, read on 10 September 2026. Used belongings are not automatically free of duty on arrival; relief for a genuine relocation depends on the circumstances of the move and usually needs a declaration before the goods arrive.